Apparatus for splicing paper



INVENTORS: HORACE FREEMAN A LEONCE GAGNE. /7 BY ATTORNEY.

April 21, 1936. H. FREEMAN ET AL APPARATUS FOR SPLIGING PAPER PatentedApr. 2 1, 1936 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR- SPLICING PAPER HoraceFreeman and Lonce Gagn, Three Rivers, Quebec, Canada, minors toConsolidated Paper Corporation Limited, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada Application December 10, 1934, Serial No. 756,834 In CanadaNovember 15, 1933 Claims. (Cl. ill-14) This invention relates to thesplicing of sheets of paper and particularly in the manufacture ofpaper, wherein the long sheet or web of paper is frequently broken andin re-winding the sheet,

5 for example, from the reel of the paper machine it is necessary tojoin or splice the sheet at the point of rupture.

It has been common practice to use an adhesivematerial, such as gum orglue, for this purpose. Another method is to place a thin tape of rubberbetween the broken ends and seal the same by passing a hot iron over thesplice. Difficulties are experienced with heretofore known methods andthe object of this invention is to overcome these dimculties. Forexample, it frequently happens that the adhesive or rubber finds its wayto an underlying layer or turn of paper on a roll and this turn orlayer, adheres to the spliced layer causing another tear when the paperis unwound from the roll. Tension applied to the sheet before the splicehas sufllciently iet causes rupture of the splice. When the paper isstored, particularly under high temperatures, the splice weakens throughdeterioration of the adhesive or oxidation of the rubber and oftenpermits the ends to part with obvious difficulties when the paper isbeing used in a printing press or elsewhere. The thickness of the spliceis sometimes an objection and the adhesive frequently loses its adhesiveproperties when the spliced paper is coated by immersion in hot wax orother coating materials or is coloured by immersion in dye solutions.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method andconvenient apparatus for overcoming these and other difficulties insplicing paper and to form a splice which is permanent and strong andwhich does not unduly increase the thickness of the sheet. 4 Theinvention will now be defined with reference to the accompanying drawingillustrating in perspective an apparatus of convenient form for use insplicing the paper.

It has been found that a compound of cel\ lulose, (celluloseconstituting the body of the paper), which is soluble in a suitableorganic solvent, is best adapted for the purpose of splicing the paper.A solution of such a compound may be applied to the broken ends of thesheet by means of a. brush or a roller but such method of application isnot readily amenable to sumcient accuracy or case of control.Preferably, therefore, the soluble cellulose compound is formed into atape of any desired width, say /2", or and of a predetermined thickness,which should be constant at, say, .0012". This tape is then used informing the splice. To cause it to adh'ere to the paper it is passedthrough an organic solvent which wets and plasticizes it. When the soplasticized tape is placed between the broken ends of the sheet, scalingis effected by passing a hot iron over the sheet to press the parts intointimate contact and to evaporate the solvent.

In the apparatus shown, I is a container for. the solvent, 2 a separate,but conveniently located, compartment in which a roll 3 of the tape 4 islocated and in which is provided a brake 5 for regulating the unwindingmovement of the roll. The upright 6 carries movable means for immersingand cutting the tape, which means are held in raised position by therope I and spring 8. The immersion means consists of a roller 8 mountedin themovable frame Ill. The cutter II is mounted in this frame and isassociated with a trigger l2 which, when moved manually against thetension of a spring'l3, depresses the cutter to sever the tape. Toassist in the cutting of the tape there is arranged on the container Ian auxiliary cutting member I4 having therein a groove or slot l5 and atthe opposite end of the container is a guide plate It. Mounted on theimmersion device is a complementary guide member II, which, when theimmersion device is lowered into the container, forms with the guidemember It a channel through which the tape is withdrawn from thesolvent.

In operation the ends of the paper sheet to be joined are trimmed asrequired. The free end of the tape emerging from the compartment 2 isdrawn across the solvent container, the immersion device is depressed tocause the roller 9 to immerse the tape in the solvent, the tape is thendrawn through the solvent until a suflicient length has been obtained,and the trigger I2 is depressed, forcing the cutter l I into the groovel5 to sever the tape. The plasticized strip of tape is now laid on onesheet of paper and the other placed on top of it when scaling iseffected by passing a suitably heated iron over the sheet. Theunplasticized exposed ends of the tape are then removed. It will beobserved that the free end of the tape 4 after cutting is left in its unwetted or unplasticized condition and is ready for the next operation.

Alternatively, the free end of the tape after immersion may be caused toadhere to the sheet of paper and the device itself may be moved acrossthe sheet so that the tape emerging from the solvent lies immediatelyupon the paper and may be cut on when the required length is obtained.

It will be apparent that a variety oi soluble cellulose materials, suchas, for example, cellulose acetate or nitrate, may be used but celluloseacetate has been found to be most suitable. Various solvents, such asacetone di-acetone, ethyl lactate, butyl acetate, may be used as thewetting or plasticizing agent. It the solvent piasticizer acts on thetape too quickly, the tape may become too soft or even dissolved beforethe operator has had time to put it in place on the end of the sheet. Onthe other hand, if it acts too slowly and has too high a boiling point,the drying of the splice takes too long and traces may remain in thesheet. Thus di-acetone is preferably used with a cellulose acetate tape,these being be adapted to meet all the requirements.

The splice so formed does not unduly increase the thickness of the sheetat the tape used is very thin and when plasticized and subjected to heatthe cellulose compound of which it is formed penetrates more or lessinto the overlapping margins oi the sheet and intimately binds themtogether. I

We claim: r

1. A device for splicing paper comprising a, solvent container, atcompartment adjacent thereto, a roll of cellulose acetate tape mountedin said compartment a brake to control movement of said roll, avertically movable device for immersing tape withdrawn from said roll insolventin said container, a cutter carried by said immersion device, atrigger for operating the cutter, auxiliary cutting means on saidcontainer adjacent said compartment, a tape guide plate on the oppositeend of said container and a cooperatingv guide plate on said immersiondevice.

' aos'mve 2. A device for splicing paper comprising a liquid container,a compartment adiacent thereto, a roll of tape mounted in saidcompartment, a vertically movable device for immersing tape withdrawnfrom said roll in. the liquid in said container, and cutting means forthe tape carried by said immersion device.

3. A device for splicing paper comprising a liquid container, acompartment adJacent thereto, a roll of tape mounted in saidcompartment, a vertically movable device for immersing a strip or tapewithdrawn from said roll in the liquid in said container and means forsevering said strip of tape at a point between the roll and saidimmersion device, said severingmeans being carried by said immersiondevice. v

4. A device for splicing paper comprising a liquid container, acompartment adjacent thereto, a roll of tape mounted in saidcompartment, a vertically movable device mounted above said containerfor immersing tape withdrawn from said roll in the liquid in saidcontainer, resilient means tending to hold said device out of contactwith said liquid, and cutting means for the tape carried by said device.

5. A device for splicing paper comprising a liquid container, acompartment adjacent thereto, a roll of tape mounted in saidcompartment, a vertically movable device mounted above said containerfor immersing tape withdrawn from said roll in the liquid in saidcontainer, a resilient means tending to hold said device out of contactwith said liquid, a cutter for the tape carried by said device,auxiliary cutting means on said container adjacent said compartment, anda trigger adapted to move said cutter into engagement with saidauxiliary means.

HORACE FREEMAN.

LEoNcE GAGNE.

